Comings and Goings

There has been a lot of transfer activity amongst the clubs that will be competing in next season’s National League South with a number of teams signing several new players

Billericay Town have started re-shaping their squad ahead of the 2018-19 season.

Several players have left the club this month. The first to announce his departure was Hall of Famer Rob Swaine.

Swainey re-joined The Blues last season from Bromley. He had made 24 league starts this season and 15 in the cup, with a single substitute appearance. He’d also chipped in with 5 goals.

In all he made 162 starts, 14 sub appearances and 38 goals in his three spells at the club.

Rob will be remember by many Blues fans for scoring the equalising goal at Margate in April 2012 that secured the Isthmian League title. He was also in the squads that lifted the Isthmian League Cup in 2017 and Essex Senior Cup this season.

When the Hall of Fame was created in 2016 Rob was one of the first players inducted in that hadn’t won an FA Vase with the squad.

Also leaving the club is goal keeper Jack Giddens.

Jack joined Billericay Town in June 2015 from Tilbury and made his debut that August in the 1-1 draw at East Thurrock.

Jack found his chances with the club limited with the arrival of Alan Julian but he still made 10 cup appearances lifting the Isthmian League Cup and Essex Senior Cup. He made a single league appearance.

Gidds ended his first season with the club as Fans’ and Managers Player of the Season.

Within hours of Jack’s release from the club being announced he had joined East Thurrock United.

Leo Chambers joined the club 7 August 2017 from West Ham United and made his debut in the home defeat against Kingstonian on the opening day of the season. He made 16 league and cup starts for The Blues before moving to The K’s on loan.

It was announced this month that he had joined Kingstonian for the 2018-19 season.

Louie Theophanous had also joined Kingstonian on loan but not before making 26 starts for the club with 11 sub appearances and scoring 10 goals. He has also joined The K’s for next season.

Full back Kevin Foley has also been released by the club. Injury restricted his season but he still managed to make 21 appearances.

Olly Sprague joined from Hendon in December 2016 and returned to Hendon on loan for the 2017-18 season. He’d made 16 league appearances and 2 in cup competitions.

Liam Hughes came to Town in February and scored on his debut against Corinthian Casuals. Soon after he was released he signed for Darlington.

Another Blues player sent out on a season long long was Byron Lawrence. He joined from Leiston in March 2017 and made 8 appearances for The Blues. He re-joined Leiston at the start of the season.

In February The Blues signed Luke Rooney who had been playing in The States for Phoneix Rising FC. He ended the season with 3 starts, 4 sub appearances and 1 goal for Town.

Sanchez Watt joined in November 2017 and went out on loan to Hemel Hempstead Town in February. He scored on his debut at Maldon & Tiptree and made 9 starts for the club, 8 sub appearances and scored 3 times.

Another November signing was Nick Wheeler who joined from Dagenham. He ended his time with Town having made 18 starts, 8 sub appearances, scored 3 goals and lifted both the Isthmian League Cup and the Essex Senior Cup.

One of the clubs top scorers, Billy Bricknell, has also left the club. His second spell with the club saw him win two League Cup titles, the Essex Senior Cup and the Isthmian League.

This season has taking his totals to 110 league starts with 24 sub appearances and 68 league goals, 30 cup starts with 20 sub appearances scoring 37 goals. His 105 goals makes him one of the clubs highest scorers.

Charlie Cole joined in the summer of 2017 having been a prolific goal scorer wwith Takeley. He spent periods on loan with Canvey Island and Hertford Town.

Everyone at Billericay Town would like to wish those departing all the best for the future.

Two players have joined so far.

Joe Ellul has signed for his third period at the club. He was a member of the Blues team that won the 2016-17 Isthmian League Cup. He played for Braintree Town and Maldon & Tiptree last season.

Also joining is former Chelsea youth winger Connor Hunte who had played for Greenwich Borough last season.

It was also announced that Sam Deering had extended his stay at the club until 2020 and the Matchday Media team would also be with the club for the 2018-19 season.